Six of us saw "The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony," Friday night at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix.   (These pictures are from my camera phone, so the quality is not that good.)

Imagine hearing the music of Led Zeppelin, one of rock’s greatest bands ever, amplified by a full rock band, a symphony orchestra, the rock singer Randy Jackson’s (of Zebra) screaming vocals and awesome lighting effects. Riff for wailing riff, this tribute ensemble captures Zeppelin’s power and charisma, while cruising to new musical colors.

We did not know exactly what to expect, but when we heard the first song, we knew it was a rock show. 

Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, conductor Brent Havens took the podium to present The Music of Led Zeppelin, a program he created to extend the listening experience of Led Zeppelin’s timeless tunes.

Performed by the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and amplified with a full rock band and screaming vocals, Havens and his ensemble capture Led Zeppelin’s “sheer blast and power” riff for riff while cranking out new musical colors.

The Phoenix Symphony meshed well with Zebra singer Randy Jackson and his taut four-piece band on epics like "The Rain Song", "Kashmir" and "The Song Remains the Same." With the band playing at 110 decibels, the orchestra couldn’t be heard half the time, but it certainly did not matter.  George "Red Bull" Cintron was outstanding on lead guitar.

A good blend of hits ("Stairway" was the encore) and lesser-known tunes ("Four Sticks," "Dancing Days") won over a capacity crowd made up of graybeards and young ones who weren’t even alive when Zeppelin broke up.

If you are interested, click on this link for a great Moby Dick Drum Solo  or click on this link for a nice overview with interviews. 

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